The Sacred Handkerchief
by Artemis Sherwood
Summary: This is a Lucy/Tumnus one-shot. I'm not ruining the story for you, so click this and read!


***This is my first one-shot and my first Narnia fanfic, so please be nice when reviewing. Thank you! Love, Artemis***

(Lucy's POV)

Lucy was wandering through the halls of Cair Paravel, listening to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. Tomorrow was her twenty-first birthday, and she wanted to remember the feeling of being only twenty. Peter had given her some unwanted and unhappy news yesterday.

_*Flashback*_

"_Lu, I'm sorry, but you have to abide by Narnia's laws."_

_Lucy closed her eyes, trying to make her tears disappear. Peter was forcing her to get married!_

"_But Peter-"_

_He shook his head sadly. "No Lucy. I can't afford to make acceptions for you anymore."_

_She whispered, "I'll bet Aslan wouldn't have made me get married."_

"_Maybe, Lu, but I'm not Aslan."_

_Lucy bit her lip as the unwanted tears poured down her cheeks. Turning, she ran out of the throne room; away from Peter and arranged marriages, and High Kings and queens. She wasn't watching where she was going, so she ran into a daydreaming Mister Tumnus._

"_Your Majesty," he said, bowing gracefully before her._

"_Oh, Tumnus, please stop with the formalities."_

_He smiled and blushed. "I'm sorry, Lucy, but I just can't help myself."_

_Her sad brown eyes stared at Tumnus in despair. _What if I want to marry a Narnian? _She thought to herself. _What if I'm already in love with someone? _'And who is this someone?' a voice asked in her head. _T-Tumnus.

_Tumnus saw the pain and betrayal in her eyes. "Lucy, what's wrong? Did I say something?"_

"_N-No, Tumnus. It's not you, it's Peter. He just told me the most horrible thing in the world."_

_His eyes darkened. "What is it, dearest?"_

_She took a shaggy breath. "Peter is forcing me to get married."_

_*End of Flashback*_

Tumnus' face had twisted in total agony when she had said those horrid seven words. He looked as though he had wanted to say something, but couldn't. _Oh Tumnus, I wish it were you I was marrying._

Lucy gasped; she was shocked at her thoughts. When was it that she had fallen in love with the faun? _It was sometime after we were all crowned kings and queens of Narnia, _she suddenly realized. _After he had given me my handkerchief._

_*Flashback*_

"_Here," he said softly, handing her the now well used handkerchief. "You need it more than I do."_

_She smiled, knowing she had found the most loyal friend in all of Narnia._

_*End of Flashback*_

The moon was glowing a bright, pale silver, giving the castle an other-worldly glow. Lucy smiled to herself. Tonight was the night she would tell Tumnus her true feelings for him. It was time.

She picked up her long skirts and ran to Tumnus' room, her long auburn-brown hair trailing behind her like a veil. Knocking politely at his door, Lucy nervously held her breath.

"Tumnus, are you in there? I-I need to speak with you." No answer. "Tumnus, please. This is very important."

She threw herself against the door, even though she knew there was no way she could break it down.

"Dammit, Tumnus," she muttered under her breath. "Please open the door."

(Tumnus' POV)

"Tumnus, are you in there? I-I need to speak with you." She paused, waiting for his answer. "Tumnus, please. This is very important."

She threw herself against the door, hopelessly trying to break down the door. Tumnus chuckled. _Ah Lucy, you make me laugh._

"Dammit, Tumnus. Please open the door."

He was sitting in front of the fireplace, holding his flute in his hands. Memories of the previous day flooded into his mind. _Lucy was crying and she ran into me. We talked._ He couldn't seem to remember the rest of their conversation. Then his heart skipped a beat; he remembered. _'Peter is forcing me to get married.' Those were the seven words I never wanted to hear from her lips._

Tumnus had loved Lucy Pevensie from the moment he met her. She spoke of strange things that day at the lamppost: Spare Oom, Wardrobe, handshakes. He knew he was disobeying the law and the White Witch when he helped her escape Narnia. Even when he was the witch's frozen prison, the only thing on his mind was Lucy. And now, nearly eleven years later, she was still all that filled his mind.

_I love you, Queen Lucy Pevensie, with all my heart. Oh Aslan, help me. Why is it that I should fall in love with the queen of Narnia? _A deep voice answered his unspoken question.

"You were meant for each other, Tumnus. You spared her life and she repaid you with love and friendship."

_Aslan, is that you?_

"Yes."

_Oh my! _he thought. _Oh Aslan, is that all that will ever be between us? Friendship?_

"That you must find out for yourself, my dear faun." And Aslan's voice disappeared.

"Tumnus?" Lucy exclaimed outside his door. "Tumnus, am I going crazy, or was that Aslan's voice I just heard?" When he didn't reply, Lucy's voice grew more agitated. "Tumnus! If you are in there, answer me! Oh, I swear to Aslan-"

Tumnus stood and walked to the door, opening it in the middle of the queen's outburst.

"Yes, my lady?"

A smile spread across her face; she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. He cautiously wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Oh, Tumnus. Why must you frighten me so?"

"I'm sorry Lucy, I was lost in thought."

She laughed. "So it would seem."

_I should tell her how I feel, _he thought. _She deserves to know._

"I have something to tell you, Lucy," he said as she said, "I have something to tell you, Tumnus."

They laughed. Putting the queen at an arm's distance away from him, he smiled. "Come in and sit by the fire. You can go first."

She walked in and sat next to the fire, her eyes watching the flames dance wildly. Tumnus sat beside her, holding his flute in his rough hands.

"I remember when you first played for me," she whispered.

_So do I, _he thought happily.

She sighed. "You've always been able to lull me to sleep with you flute."

"I know," he whispered, not knowing what else to say.

"Tumnus," she whispered hesitantly. "I need to tell you something very important."

Her eyes were shining in the firelight, making Tumnus' insides churn in nervousness and affection. She sighed, not knowing how to word the thoughts running through her mind. The faun gently took her hand in his.

"What do you wish to tell me, Lucy Pevensie?"

(Lucy's POV)

"What do you wish to tell me, Lucy Pevensie?"

_Oh Aslan, give me the strength to tell him how I feel._

'_Tell him, dear one,' _Aslan replied.

"Well," she whispered. "Tumnus, I-I…I love you."

The faun's deep brown eyes grew wide for a moment; he stood on his unsteady legs and stared into the fire.

_I knew I shouldn't have said anything, _she thought sadly. _How could he ever love me?_

She stood, ready to leave Tumnus forever. "I, uh, I should be going now. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow?"

When Tumnus offered no reply, she turned and walked out his door.

"Wait! Lucy, please come back."

"Why?" she shouted in between sobs.

(Tumnus' POV)

_Oh no, now I've made my Lucy cry. Stupid, stupid faun! Why didn't you say anything to her? _He tormented himself with horrible comments.

"Why?" she repeated.

"Because…I didn't tell you…"

"Tell me what?" she whispered painfully.

He sucked in a deep breath and looked her straight in the eye. "I love you, Lucy Pevensie."

Her eyes grew wide, and then closed in shock. "W-What did you say?"

He walked towards her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I love you."

"Oh Tumnus," she sobbed.

Pulling her into a warm embrace, he whispered comfortingly to her, "I'm here, dearest Lucy. I'm here, and I'm never leaving your side."

Tears flowed from Lucy's closed eyes and soaked the faun's red scarf. _Finally, Lucy and I can be together._

Gently grabbing her chin, Tumnus tilted her head back and planted a tender kiss on her lips.

(Lucy's POV)

He tilted her head back and gently kissed her. The tears stopped and Lucy's heart skipped a beat. _Oh Aslan, you really do work in mysterious ways._

He pulled away then, much too soon. Reaching a hand under his scarf, he pulled out the sacred handkerchief.

"Here, you need it more than I do."

***A/N – Sorry if I confused anyone by switching the POV's around. I just wanted to make sure we got everybody's thoughts and feelings, etc.***

**Please review!**


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